Category Archives: Day Trips

This is an article about a part of one of the many tours at Shalom Israel. It’s morning and everyone just finished the breakfast. The guides are preparing themselves and you for the things to come. Everyone has bottles with drink, hats, checkout the shoes and sandals and all the details, which are really needed for a day like this. Everyone gets their maps and books about Masada and Ein Gedi. And slowly everyone will exit the hotel and enter our waiting bus. The bus driver is in a good mood, because this trip is at least for him easy and he can stay inside the bus if he wants. We start driving and after 30 minutes the whole landscape start changing dramatically.

I’ve been involved in the Group Tours now intensely for the last weeks and traveled the country multiple times. When I spoke with a couple of tourists from Canada in the central bus station in Tel Aviv, they were asking me for the best tourist attractions in Israel. There are so many attractions, they got lost. Here is my list and the images with them.

This is a walking tour through the old city of Jerusalem, Israel. Because we don’t create day tours in principle at the moment, here is something for you who are looking for something like this. This tour is supplied with maps and images and we hope you like it.

Peace Road is the name of a fascinating driving route that follows the length of the border between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan. The border between Israel and Jordan was first determined in the time of the British Mandate (1922). Later it was finalized during the peace negotiations between the two countries. See here the results.

Some tips in this article to help you find the perfect vacation for you. Or you buy the guide book, or join day tours, or an guided tour, or you chat with other tourists, there are ways to enjoy your vacation in Israel.

This is a good story of good people. A man, Ratisbonne, a French Jew and former atheist who converted to Catholicism and became a Jesuit, took it upon himself to build an orphanage for girls and an convent for Sisters and from that moment his work helped thousands of the years.

What makes Israel so interesting for any tourist? Because of it’s 10,000 year history, the many civilizations gone or merged, the many religions who claim the country as their own, it’s rough unspoiled nature of jungle, desert and snow, water paradise and hiking heaven, dynamic and ancient cities, it’s heavenly food and friendly people.

Twelve National Parks in Israel are described and mentioned here. These National Parks are all located in the north of Israel. Have fun, those are truly wonderful day trips you can make for the whole family (from children 4 years or older).

In this article we have a collection of national parks and Nature reserves of Israel. For those of you who are considering to go to a park, I would say let the pictures speak for themselves. There are national parks in the north and the south their own charm. Here we focus on the park and nature reserves in the middle and south of Israel. The next article we focus on the north of the country.

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Encyclopedia for the Tourist in Israel: Tourists in Israel

For those who are visiting Eilat (or are going to do that) without plan (like most of you do), here are some tips for you to make your life a bit easier if you want to see something of Eilat. It’s the problem of getting there and how to move around and with what. Did you know that you can fly to Eilat instead of driving for 4 hours by car? Do you know how much that cost? It cost you $35 and 35 minutes. Voila, you earned your reading back with this.

Eilat’s accommodation ranges from the good to the bad to the downright ugly – this is not a place to expect a charming or unique hotel experience. As is the case with most resort towns, the cost of hotel rooms rises by about 25% at weekends and 50% (or more) during Israeli school holidays and in July/August. Reserve ahead during these times. The prices we have cited in our reviews are at the higher end of the mid-season range. If you enjoy staying in five-star chain hotels, you’ll be spoiled for choice. There are more than 50 options around the lagoons at North Beach and along the road to Taba, including nine Isrotels, two Dan Hotels and seven hotels in the Leonardo/Herod group. Most have bland decor, restaurants where the fixed-price buffet reigns supreme, large pool areas and decent but not exceptional levels of service.

Beaches and water sport are the dominating swimming activities in Eilat and in this article you will see what you can do here and what beaches we are talking about. In Eilat, there are two types of beach/water-tourists; those who love to swim in the Red Sea and those who prefer the water pools of their hotel.

Tel Aviv has loads of restaurants in all kinds, representing all areas of the Arab world, as is the rest of the world. And you know what, you can always find something for any budget. You can choose a boutique type restaurant, or you can choose a restaurant, where you have a full meal for a few shekels. And then there are those restaurants, which are based on the rising crop of ‘chef restaurants’ and an ever-growing number of swanky brasseries.

There are accommodation choices to meet every budget and style requirement in Tel Aviv, but the city’s ever-expanding range of boutique hotels includes the most alluring options. The best location for visitors is the wedge of the south city centre bounded by Rothschild Blvd, Sheinkin St and Allenby St, which is richly endowed with cafes and restaurants. It’s also within walking distance of most sights. Further away, Jaffa offers some stylish boutique options and a vibrant Arab-influenced street life.

It’s not quite as old as nearby Jaffa – history here stretches back ‘only’ 1300 years – but Ramla’s bustling market, underground pools and crumbling Islamic architecture make it an interesting half-day trip from Tel Aviv. Try to visit on a Wednesday, when the market is at its busiest and most colorful. Established in 716 CE by the Umayyid caliph Suleiman, Ramla (spot of sand) was a stopover on the road from Egypt to Damascus. Prior to the arrival of the Crusaders in the 11th century, it was Palestine’s capital and it maintained its importance in the Middle Ages as the first stop for the Jerusalem-bound pilgrims who came ashore at Jaffa. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War the majority of the Arab population were expelled or fled and was replaced by poor Jewish immigrants, mainly from Asia (eg India) and North Africa. It’s now a friendly mix of Arabs (20%) and Jews (80%).

The self-titled ‘Israeli Riviera’ offers 12km of the finest sandy beaches in Israel & the Palestinian Territories, while the town itself exudes a rather strange, time-warp feeling, almost like an out-of season French seaside resort. It’s popular with families, who flock to the spacious promenade with its parks, flower beds and water features. As at Herzliya, the beaches are a favourite with visiting European (especially French and Russian) tourists but are far less crowded than those of Tel Aviv. In August or September, the town has the dubious distinction of hosting the annual two-day Netanya International Clown Festival.

Just 12km north of central Tel Aviv, Herzliya is popular due to its fine, clean beaches, marina mall and string of seafront cafes. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya started as a small farming community in 1924 and now consists of two main areas separated by Hwy 2. Middle-class, suburban central Herzliya, east of the highway, is mainly residential and commercial, while Herzliya Pituach (west of the highway) – a neighborhood of huge villas that’s home to some of Israel’s wealthiest residents – is where the beaches are. Herzliya Pituach is also home to Israel’s blossoming high-tech industry; as a result, modern office blocks are rising up all.

Recent Posts: Perfect Buildings Blog

The Cathedral of Guadalajara started to be constructed on the 31st of July 1568 and concluded on the 19th of February 1618, ordered by King of Spain Felipe II. Few people know it has the official title of “Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Virgen María”, because it was consecrated to her.

Aya Sofya is the great architectural landmark at the heart of Istanbul, with its four minarets poised like moon-bound rockets. Constructed in the 6th century AD as an Orthodox church, it later became a mosque and, since 1935, a museum. The enormous structure was built in just five years, and its musk walls are topped by an imposing dome, 31m wide and 56m high. The dome’s base is ringed by windows, so that from within the structure, the dome seems almost to hover ethereally above the building.

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.

Red Square remains, as it has been for centuries, the heart and soul of Russia. Few places in the world bear the weight of history to the extent that Moscow’s central square does. From the 16th Century St. Basil’s Cathedral – one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world – to the constructivist pyramid of Lenin’s Mausoleum, Red Square is rich in symbols of Russia’s turbulent and intriguing past.

Known as the “Russian Versailles,” Peterhof is a series of palaces and courtyards full of glinting gold statues and wondrous fountains surrounded by manicured grounds. Preserved as UNESCO World Heritage Site, the initial construction of the Peterhof complex began around 1714 when Peter the Great commissioned a pleasure palace across the sea from the island fortress of Kronstadt. Especially amazing is the Grand Cascade, a series of stepped fountains surrounded by gilded statues flowing down to a remarkable grand fountain.

Finished in all its present-day lavishness in 1756, this Rococo palace functioned as the Russian monarch’s summer home until the monarchy was deposed in 1917. During World War II, the German army destroyed much of the palace’s gilded interior and left only its hollow bones. Renovations were finished in 2003 and the palace is now a great tourist destination as well a venue for elite concerts and gatherings.

Constructed in 1732 and heavily altered for the next two decades, the Winter Palace (in reality the fourth Winter Palace, as the first three iterations were not exquisite enough for Russian monarchs such as Peter the Great and Catherine I) served as the official residence of the Russian monarchy until the Revolution of 1917. The white and teal Winter Palace is one of six major historical buildings which comprise one of the most massive museums in the world, the Hermitage of St. Petersburg.

Vasily Stasov designed the Grand Choral Synagogue in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was completed in 1893 as a central worship space for the area’s growing Jewish community. One of the synagogue’s most notably opulent features is its 47 m copula. It was also possible to get married here at the lavish adjoining wedding chapel. The synagogue stands as a reflection of the prominent roles many Jewish individuals played in this period of Russia’s history. Today you can visit this house of worship, which was entirely restored in 2003. There are a variety of activities on offer and several surrounding Jewish cultural shops.

Metéora (“suspended in the air”) is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six Christian monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars in central Greece. In the 14th century, Athanasios Koinovitis from Mount Athos founded the great Meteoron monastery on Broad Rock. The location was perfect for the monks; they were safe from political upheaval and had complete control of the entry to the monasteries. Access to the monasteries was deliberately difficult, requiring either long ladders lashed together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith – the ropes were replaced only “when the Lord let them break”.

Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Kiev, Ukraine. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1015 the Lavra has been a preeminent center of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. The Kiev Pechersk Lavra contains numerous architectural monuments, ranging from he Great Lavra Belltower, the notable feature of the Kiev skyline, to cathedrals to underground cave systems and to strong stone fortification walls.

Recent Posts: Perfect Buildings Blog

The Cathedral of Guadalajara started to be constructed on the 31st of July 1568 and concluded on the 19th of February 1618, ordered by King of Spain Felipe II. Few people know it has the official title of “Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Virgen María”, because it was consecrated to her.

Aya Sofya is the great architectural landmark at the heart of Istanbul, with its four minarets poised like moon-bound rockets. Constructed in the 6th century AD as an Orthodox church, it later became a mosque and, since 1935, a museum. The enormous structure was built in just five years, and its musk walls are topped by an imposing dome, 31m wide and 56m high. The dome’s base is ringed by windows, so that from within the structure, the dome seems almost to hover ethereally above the building.

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.

Red Square remains, as it has been for centuries, the heart and soul of Russia. Few places in the world bear the weight of history to the extent that Moscow’s central square does. From the 16th Century St. Basil’s Cathedral – one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world – to the constructivist pyramid of Lenin’s Mausoleum, Red Square is rich in symbols of Russia’s turbulent and intriguing past.

Known as the “Russian Versailles,” Peterhof is a series of palaces and courtyards full of glinting gold statues and wondrous fountains surrounded by manicured grounds. Preserved as UNESCO World Heritage Site, the initial construction of the Peterhof complex began around 1714 when Peter the Great commissioned a pleasure palace across the sea from the island fortress of Kronstadt. Especially amazing is the Grand Cascade, a series of stepped fountains surrounded by gilded statues flowing down to a remarkable grand fountain.

Recent Posts: Tourists in Israel

For those who are visiting Eilat (or are going to do that) without plan (like most of you do), here are some tips for you to make your life a bit easier if you want to see something of Eilat. It’s the problem of getting there and how to move around and with what. Did you know that you can fly to Eilat instead of driving for 4 hours by car? Do you know how much that cost? It cost you $35 and 35 minutes. Voila, you earned your reading back with this.

Eilat’s accommodation ranges from the good to the bad to the downright ugly – this is not a place to expect a charming or unique hotel experience. As is the case with most resort towns, the cost of hotel rooms rises by about 25% at weekends and 50% (or more) during Israeli school holidays and in July/August. Reserve ahead during these times. The prices we have cited in our reviews are at the higher end of the mid-season range. If you enjoy staying in five-star chain hotels, you’ll be spoiled for choice. There are more than 50 options around the lagoons at North Beach and along the road to Taba, including nine Isrotels, two Dan Hotels and seven hotels in the Leonardo/Herod group. Most have bland decor, restaurants where the fixed-price buffet reigns supreme, large pool areas and decent but not exceptional levels of service.

Beaches and water sport are the dominating swimming activities in Eilat and in this article you will see what you can do here and what beaches we are talking about. In Eilat, there are two types of beach/water-tourists; those who love to swim in the Red Sea and those who prefer the water pools of their hotel.

Tel Aviv has loads of restaurants in all kinds, representing all areas of the Arab world, as is the rest of the world. And you know what, you can always find something for any budget. You can choose a boutique type restaurant, or you can choose a restaurant, where you have a full meal for a few shekels. And then there are those restaurants, which are based on the rising crop of ‘chef restaurants’ and an ever-growing number of swanky brasseries.

Recent Posts: Wim's Blog

You have a great idea and you want to earn money with it. That idea will be so great, you will become rich with that. Or what about people who think of themselves as business people with golden ideas. And all those ideas are Internet based. They think they only need a website and it will sell automatically and that’s it! And the majority fails. But what does it take to do such thing like that? This is an article about what people must consider before they can make this a reality with the help of the Internet and the steps they need to take before the actual work starts.

Blogs are popular and part of the social media. Everyone can create a blog and write there what they want. But not only blogs, also companies need websites, and organizations, institutions, governments, action groups, political parties, newspapers, and any individual wants to have a website. But all of that have something in common: they need a website. That website is stored and maintained on a server and that means that everyone needs to have a hosting account in order to host the website. And here the problems start. You are limited with maximum 17,647 page views per day.

Everyone who’s reading the mainstream media in the Internet gets the strong impression that Donald Trump is a really bad person and Hillary Clinton not. This is an understatement as ever. You don’t believe me? Do you want to see the proof with your own eyes? Go to news.google.com (aggregation of news of multiple sources) and read only the headlines about the American elections. Even when new revelations are coming in the open about criminal probes and investigations from the FBI against Hillary Clinton, there is still a very strange negativity of the news coverage of the mainstream media. And it doesn’t end with the negative coverage, no, not at all. They are using tactics to manipulate facts, vicious attacks on Trump’s character, straight out lying, cheating and much more to brush Donald Trump with the brush of tarnished evil. Ann Coulter on Breitbart wrote an interesting piece about those investigations and I could not help to expand on that.

A poll is nothing more than an attempt to predict an outcome based on what a relatively small sample of people say they are going to do. To suggest that they could be off by more than the statistical margin of error is just wishful thinking. Is that true? No. The polling industry is in the problems, because populations are simply getting sick of answering multiple times questions from pollsters. That’s why. So, does that mean that polls are or are not reliable?

The US Elections 2016 are becoming more dramatic by the hour. Each time new revelations are published about each candidate, muddling the actual elections and give preference for mudslinging, accusations, media manipulations, falsification of election data and polls, unprecedented interference of the current President, fraud, drop of confidence in the US government, unpopular politicians, conspiracies, corruption, manipulation, defect mainstream media and so much more. One Presidential candidate is under suspicion of Perjury, Obstruction of Justice, Bribery, Pay for Play,Illegal Use of a Nonprofit Organization, Racketeering and Fraud! If Hillary Clinton gets elected as the next President, those voters need to wait for a very long time before they have their president. And they take also the risk that this President will go to jail and dragging America further in the slumps and be the biggest embarrassment in the world.

Recent Posts: Shalom Israel

The dramatic story about Capenaum. How that little fishing town was once a nice town, hosting one of the most famous people in the world, then getting cursed by the same person and see the result of that now; only ruins left!

Here you see an overview about the public tours, created by Shalom Israel. There are many other tours, which are created as private tours and can’t be marketed or operated. The tours are coming in different settings. First of all, the tour itself is a VIP tour with the highest quality possible. Secondly, the tours can be customized and then can become even VIP Plus or a low-budget tour, as you wish.

This is a collection of random images about the beautiful country Israel with its variety in nature, culture, religion and its people. Its unparalleled in the world, and because of that, it’s a treasure chest for any tourist who wants to experience an unforgettable vacation for the whole family. The Shalom Tours are custom made and high quality and visit all of those places and much more.